Most conventional computer systems include boot sequence setting that control the order a BIOS uses to look for boot devices from which to load an operating system. Some conventional systems include accessing storage media to obtain an operating system to load during system initialization. For example, DOS looks to a floppy or hard disk drive to load a system's operating system.
Advanced systems allow other types of boot sequence options such as allowing a system to boot off a different hard disk drive (i.e. an ‘E:’ drive) other than the primary disk drive (i.e. ‘C:’drive). One advantage of providing an alternate boot drive is reducing the risk of a boot sector virus spreading from one disk drive to another. However, some disadvantages arise from using customizable initialization sequences and/or booting from various disk drives. For example, if a virus is discovered on a system, a clean floppy disk must be used to boot the system. If a system is set-up to boot from the infected disk drive, a user must manually alter the boot sequence in an effort to disinfect and restore the disk drive for subsequent use.
Peripheral devices and/or hardware dependencies of boot sequences can also leave a system vulnerable to unrecoverable system initialization errors. For example, hardware failure of a floppy disk drive, hard disk drive or boot ROM device may prove fatal and render a system inoperable due to not being able to access or load an operating system during initialization.
Therefore, what is needed is an initialization system and method that lacks dependency on peripheral devices, user interaction, and fixed hardware to initialize processors, computer systems and servers.